The Frog Prince - German

Hello there! My name is Princess Aurelia, and I live in a grand castle with a beautiful garden. On warm, sunny afternoons, my favorite thing to do was play with my most precious toy: a shiny, solid gold ball. One day, while I was tossing it up and catching it near the old well under the linden tree, my hands slipped! Oh no! The golden ball tumbled right into the deep, dark water. I started to cry because I thought it was gone forever. I peered over the edge, but the water was as dark as a starless night, and I couldn't see my beautiful toy at all. My shoulders shook and big, salty tears rolled down my cheeks. It felt like I had lost my best friend. That’s when I heard a little voice, and it was the beginning of the story many people now call The Frog Prince.

From the well popped a little green frog with big, bulging eyes. He asked why I was so sad, and when I told him, he made me a deal. He would get my golden ball if I promised he could be my friend, eat from my golden plate, and sleep on a pillow next to me. I thought, 'What a silly frog!' I didn't really want a slimy frog for a friend, but I wanted my ball back so badly that I said yes to everything. The frog dove down deep into the dark water. A moment later, his green head popped back up, and in his mouth was my precious golden ball. I was so happy that I snatched it up and ran back to the castle, completely forgetting about the little frog and my promise. The next evening, as my father the King and I were eating dinner, we heard a strange tap, tap, splat at the door. It was the frog! He croaked, 'Princess, Princess, open the door! Have you forgotten your promise to me?' My father is very wise and told me, 'A promise is a promise, my daughter. You must let him in.' So, I had to let the little frog eat from my plate, and it was not my favorite dinner.

When it was time for bed, I had to carry the cold, slippery frog up to my room. I did not want him sleeping on my soft, silk pillow! I was so cross that I set him down very firmly in the corner of the room. But in a flash of light, the frog changed! Standing before me was not a frog, but a handsome prince with kind eyes. He told me an angry witch had put a spell on him, and only a princess's promise could break it. By keeping my word, even when I didn't want to, I had set him free. I learned that day that you should never judge someone by how they look, and that keeping a promise is one of the most important things you can do. The prince and I became the best of friends. This story was first written down by two brothers a very long time ago, on December 20th, 1812, but it was told around fireplaces long before that. It reminds us that kindness can create magic and that a true heart is more valuable than any golden ball. And even today, when you see a frog by a pond, it makes you wonder, doesn't it?